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MODERN APPRENTICESHIP

A study exploring knowledge, understanding, perceptions & opinions towards Modern

Apprenticeships in Scotland

MODERN APPRENTICESHIP

A study exploring knowledge, understanding, perceptions & opinions towards Modern

Apprenticeships in Scotland

Nicola Ashwood Careers Adviser

23 April 2013

SDS Academy Symposium

Skills Development Scotland

• Topic

• Context

• Previous Studies

• Quiz

• Results

• Recommendations

• Questions

CONTENTS

Skills Development Scotland

CASE STUDY Anecdotal Evidence

• Scott left school with few qualifications

• Bricklaying apprenticeship with uncle

• Four years on site training

• No formal training, or assessment, or accreditation

• Found himself unemployed – no certification to prove qualified

• Secured work with construction company however wages do not reflect his perceived status

• Reflects the importance of quality information, advice and guidance around formal routes into work

Skills Development Scotland

POLITICAL CONTEXT

• High Youth Unemployment

• Modern Apprenticeship Scottish Government Flagship Programme

• Target of 25,000 Modern Apprenticeships delivered yearly

• Opportunities for all (2012)

• Publically funded employer incentives to increase participation

• Part public part employer funded

• 3.9% Scottish Businesses taking part in MA programme – source: Scottish Government (2012)

Skills Development Scotland

KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS

• Is there a generic lack of knowledge and understanding towards Modern Apprenticeships among Key Stakeholders?

• Does this act as a barrier to participation within MA ?

• If so what can be done to improve this? • Who are the Key Stakeholders?

Skills Development Scotland

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

• Potential Modern Apprentices

• Parents of potential Modern Apprentices

• Guidance Teachers

• Employers

• SDS

Skills Development Scotland

METHODOLOGY

• Small scale qualitative research

• Literature Review

• Questionnaires

• Semi-structured Focus Groups

• Telephone Interviews

• Survey Monkey

Skills Development Scotland

DEFINING APPRENTICESHIPS

• Ryan (2011) the term apprenticeship is often confusing, cosmetic and objectionable.

• Broadly defines as; denoting a programme of learning that combines part-time formal education with training and experience at the workplace, and results in an externally recognised vocational qualification.

Skills Development Scotland

RYAN (2011)

DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN

• Functional Apprenticeship; traditional style programmes such as craft training in engineering apprenticeships with a combination of vocational education and work based training.

• Apprenticeship; described as other forms of vocational training that attract the label of apprenticeship such as retail & customer service occupations that tend to neglect formal education and offer minimal off the job training

Skills Development Scotland

RESEARCH THAT

INFORMED MY STUDY

Skills Development Scotland

Scottish Executive Review of Modern Apprenticeships (2001)

Explored barriers to participation within the MA programme;

• Almost all who participated had positive views of MA

• Low levels of awareness & understanding among school pupils, teachers and employers

• Review was weighted towards those already participating

• Modern Apprenticeships were often perceived as the poor relation

Skills Development Scotland

Canning & Lang (2004)

• Most successful Modern Apprenticeships; intermediate level job role, formal regulation, real employment potential & good quality training & learning.

• Full time educational opportunities such as FE & HE will tend to undermine MA

• Increased participation on the MA programme

• Due to supply-led interventions

Skills Development Scotland

Modern Apprenticeship Summit (2009)

Aimed to explore how Scotland uses MA to support employment opportunities

1. Increased Transparency- Funding

2. A single more easily accessed point of information-remove overly bureaucratic processes

3. Focus on Marketing Modern Apprenticeship opportunities.

Skills Development Scotland

Federation of Small Businesses (2009)

• Focused on Employers.

• Low levels of participation

• Lack of information-most reported barrier

• Cost of funding-age restrictions

• Supply of appropriate potential employees

• Time out of business for training

• Economic conditions

Skills Development Scotland

Brophy et al 2009

Explored parents, young people & employers perceptions of work based learning.

• General positive perceptions around MA

• Negative perceptions; low status, male orientated, appropriate for manual labour.

• Employers question reliability and work readiness of young people

• Barriers to uptake of MA; lack of information, lack of diversity & lack of support

Skills Development Scotland

ROE (2011)

• Roe (2011) undertook a review of Post-16 Vocational Education and Training System in Scotland.

• Acknowledged; a lack of transparency as an issue that affects the system at many levels

• Calls for; a system that can be easier understood and navigated

• Notes the benefits; of an effective system for individuals, employers and the nation.

Skills Development Scotland

Career Academies UK & Financial Skills Partnership (2012)

Explored young peoples view on their routes to success.

• Young people reported a high level of

awareness around Modern Apprenticeships

• Knowledge around Modern Apprenticeships tended to be inaccurate and shallow

• Apprenticeships were for school drop outs..

Skills Development Scotland

Summary

Previous studies since 2001 have consistently shown;

1. Lack of knowledge & understanding of Modern Apprenticeships among key stakeholders

2. Negative perceptions of Modern Apprenticeships among key stakeholders

3. Both were found to be a barrier to participation within Modern Apprenticeship programme.

Skills Development Scotland

THEORETICAL UNDERPINNING

Foskett & Hemsley-Brown (2001)

Choosing Futures, Young people’s decision making in education, training and career markets

• Highlight extent of adult influence over occupational choice

• Perceptions of careers & routes into work are formed from a very early age-although do develop over time.

• Contractual Images – direct from personal experience-e.g. doctor, teacher, nursery nurse, social worker, police officer

• Delegated Images – perceptions transferred from adults to children-i.e. parents and teachers

• Derived images-translated via media-includes books etc

Skills Development Scotland

Foskett & Hemsley-Brown (cont)

• Images young people have formed if any of Modern Apprenticeship are most likely to have come from delegated images conveyed by parents and teachers

• Modern Apprenticeship overall has limited visibility leading to an underdeveloped image as a route into work.

• FE & HE have much higher levels of visibility overall.

• Important to note that Careers Advisers and Guidance Teachers are entering the careers decision making process at a very late stage of developing perceptions.

• We can argue that parents & teachers are the most important target in terms of raising levels of awareness and changing attitudes.

Skills Development Scotland

SURVEY RESULTS

Skills Development Scotland

PPVote session

What is PPVote • An interactive voting kit which can be used to provide instant,

anonymous feedback

• Use to illustrate some of the key results from my research

• Predict and compare: your perceptions with guidance teachers’ and what you think guidance teachers said about modern apprenticeships

How to vote • In the following pages you will be presented with multiple choice

questions related to the research.

• When the voting starts, please cast your vote by pressing the appropriate number on the key-pad, corresponding to the number of the multiple choice option on the screen.

Skills Development Scotland

QUESTION 1

1. 89%

2. 33%

3. 100%

4. 48%

What proportion of guidance teachers said they had some awareness of Modern Apprenticeships?

11%

29%

29%

31%

SAMPLE

Skills Development Scotland

RESULTS

• All guidance teachers aware to some extent

• 75% of Guidance Teachers were aware of MA however were unsure where to access information to support CIAG.

• 25% of Guidance Teachers were aware of MA and knew where to access information to support CIAG.

• Differing levels of awareness!!

• Therefore raising awareness strategies in terms of accessing quality information around MA’s with this group is important.

*

Skills Development Scotland

QUESTION 2 What proportion of guidance teachers are asked about Modern Apprenticeships on a regular basis?

1. 89%

2. 28%

3. 63%

4. 92%

11%

29%

29%

31%

SAMPLE

Skills Development Scotland

RESULTS

• 63% of Guidance Teachers are asked regularly about Modern Apprenticeships.

• We know from previous results that 75% of Guidance Teachers are unsure where to access information

• Therefore there is room for improvement in the quality / level of information being provided

Skills Development Scotland

QUESTION 3 What proportion of guidance teachers said they

were confident in providing quality information and advice on Modern Apprenticeships?

1. 0%

2. 88%

3. 47%

4. 10%

11%

29%

29%

31%

SAMPLE

Skills Development Scotland

MSc RESULTS

• None of the Guidance Teachers in the Local Authority who took part in the survey said they were confident in providing advice/guidance about Modern Apprenticeships.

• Therefore we can argue that this provides evidence of a lack of knowledge and understanding about Modern Apprenticeships.

• What can we do to improve this??

*

Skills Development Scotland

QUESTION 4 What proportion of guidance teachers said that Modern Apprenticeships are of equal value as a

route into work as college or university?

1. 40%

2. 62%

3. 100%

4. 75%

11%

29%

29%

31%

SAMPLE

Skills Development Scotland

RESULTS

• 75% of Guidance Teachers who took part in this survey believe Modern Apprenticeships are of equal value as a route into work as College/University.

• However on further probing;

• 25% most suitable for those in construction

• 25% most suitable for males

• 25% most suitable for those with few or no qualifications

• 25% no parity of esteem

Skills Development Scotland

QUESTION 5

How many job types/occupations are available under the Modern Apprenticeship programme?

1. Less than 50

2. More than 50

49%

51%SAMPLE

Skills Development Scotland

MSc RESULTS

• The majority of Guidance Teachers who took part in this survey thought that there was less than 50 job types available on the Modern Apprenticeship Programme.

• There are hundreds of job types with around 60 occupational sectors e.g. Construction, Food & Drink, Hospitality & Energy that have various job types within them available on the Modern Apprenticeship Programme.

• This may reflect lack of awareness as to the extent of the Modern Apprenticeship Programme.

*

Skills Development Scotland

MSC RESULTS

• Significant evidence of lack of knowledge & understanding about Modern Apprenticeships.

• Significant evidence of negative perceptions of Modern Apprenticeships.

• The above themes act as barriers to participation within the Modern Apprenticeship Programme.

Skills Development Scotland

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Single point of contact for accessing quality up to date information and opportunities around Modern Apprenticeships.

• Consider a UCAS style process.

• www.ourskillsforce.co.uk – Employers

• www.providercentral.org.uk –Learning Providers

• www.myworldofwork.co.uk – General Public

Skills Development Scotland

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Parents consistently requested easier access to quality up to date reliable information about Modern Apprenticeships.

• Access to parents problematic

• Step by Step guide to Modern Apprenticeships-online-Information booklet

• School Newsletters

• Local Authority websites and magazines

• Modern Apprenticeship focused events

Skills Development Scotland

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Continuous Professional Development opportunities with all teachers including primary, however Guidance Teachers priority.

• Careers Advisers in schools best placed to contribute on ongoing basis, however can target all teachers during in-service days.

• E-Learning for all teaching staff/students

• Curriculum for Excellence, Building the curriculum 4, Teaching staff have key responsibility up to senior phase for delivering Skills for Learning, Life & Work.

Skills Development Scotland

BENEFITS OF THIS STUDY

• Prevent cases like Scott’s !!

• Highlights Target audiences.

• Highlight early Intervention.

• Inform key stakeholders.

Skills Development Scotland

INFORMATING FUTURE RESEACH

• Small scale study therefore generalisations can be difficult.

• Important platform to further explore the key themes identified within this study.

• Access to participants e.g. Intended a focus group with Guidance Teachers however access issues proved a survey monkey was best option.

• Could have considered Training Providers and Sector Skills Councils.

Skills Development Scotland

DOING RESEACH

• Choose a subject that matters to you.

• Easier to spend the enormous amount of time required if you are genuinely interested in the topic.

• Consider writing a research proposal-even for your own use- this is how you plan to conduct your research.

• It does not matter if something goes wrong, this is part of the process, learn from it and include in the research, this will evidence your work.

Skills Development Scotland

QUESTIONS

Skills Development Scotland

CONTACT

• Nicola Ashwood

• Tel; 0141-849-5732

• Mob; 07899060088

• E-mail; nicola.ashwood@sds.co.uk